Coyotes howled in the distance and a full moon lit up the Halloween sky. Shadows of mesquite trees followed us as we made our way down an old country road. Every noise in the woods echoed loudly in my ears. I couldn’t wait to get back to Uncle Joe’s house.

“Do you hear them, Cole?”

Mom’s first Cousin Ed walked behind me.

“They’re calling for us.”

“I know. Everybody’s all ready for the reunion.”

My cousins and I looked for arrowheads earlier but I got stuck with this old cowboy who smelled of chewing tobbaco and Miller Lite. Mom said Ed was in his late 40’s. . . but he was a bit odd.

He didn’t answer. We walked the rest of the way in silence. I tried calling my uncle, but my phone couldn’t pick up a signal.

“Ed, can I borrow your cell?”

“Uhhh..I didn’t bring it, Cole.”

The coyotes howled again even louder this time.

“Cole, they’re calling for us. You know we gotta answer.”

My cousin dropped to all fours and let out this horrible scream. His face grew longer and fangs covered in sticky, brown tobacco juice popped out from underneath his lips. His pointy ears knocked off his dirty cowboy hat. His denim shirt and old blue jeans were now in shreds. Huge claws sat on what was left of his cowboy boots.

But this didn’t scare me. My dad got the same way when I brought home a B on my report card.

“So you become a werewolf during a full moon? Wait. This is South Texas. You’re a werecoyote.”

My furry cousin lit up a cigarette and blew smoke rings out of his mouth.

“Yes, Cole, and so are you. Pretty soon the rest of the family will be here too.”

I was now surrounded by a pack of snarling, drooling coyotes. I was on the menu tonight.

“What are you talking about? I’m nothing like you or them.”

“Sure you are, mijo. Everybody’s here. Your cousins, uncles, aunts.”

My heart pounded in my chest and I sweated like I finished a two-mile run in PE class.

Then I started to change. I dropped to all fours and howled like he did. I was now one of them. This is what my cousin meant by “family reunion.”